About the City Auditor

Jacquelin R. Lewis

Jacquelin R. Lewis serves as the Auditor for the City of Columbus, making history as the first person of color to hold the position. As the City’s chief financial officer, she brings over a decade of specialized experience in public finance, public law, and economic development to the office.

Before her appointment as City Auditor, Lewis was a partner in Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP’s Public Finance practice group and a member of the firm’s Economic Development Subcommittee. In this role, she advised Ohio political subdivisions on the issuance of municipal bond and lease-purchase financings, including general obligation, revenue, and nontax revenue bond financings. Her legal practice emphasized school and local government law, tax incentive programs, and post-issuance compliance.

In addition to her traditional public finance practice, Lewis worked with public and private clients to negotiate and structure complex economic development incentive programs. Her expertise includes advising on tax increment financing (TIF), new community authorities (NCA), and community reinvestment areas (CRA), as well as coordinating these tools with debt financing and other public-sector incentives. She also served as co-chair of the firm’s Housing Subcommittee and counseled clients on the structuring and feasibility of Opportunity Zone–eligible projects.

Lewis’s career in public service includes roles as Director of Public Affairs for the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, legislative liaison to the Ohio Treasurer of State and Ohio Attorney General, and legislative aide in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly. Deeply committed to the Columbus community, she has served on the boards of several prominent organizations, including the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.

A proud “triple Buckeye,” Lewis graduated from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and The John Glenn College of Public Affairs with a Juris Doctor and a Master of Arts in Public Policy. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts with dual degrees in French and International Relations.